Skratch Labs

THE MISSION- At Skratch Labs, our mission is to provide people with the inspiration, life skills, and products to take better care of themselves and their families.

It’s a mission based on the understanding that taking care of oneself and those we love isn’t always easy. But that’s okay, because the way we see it, there’s nothing more satisfying and grounding than putting in the time, care, and effort to solve life’s challenges.

This perspective – solving problems and delaying gratification without losing sight of the present – is at the heart of the community events, blogs, cookbooks, and all-natural nutrition products that makes up the sometimes hard to define mishmash of activity here at Skratch Labs.

Like most things in life, we’re figuring it out as we go. That said, a few things are clear – that food and drink are better when made from scratch and that no matter where we find ourselves in life, that it’s never too late to start from scratch.

THE WORDS- From our Founder:

A few years ago, while working as a sport scientist and coach for a professional cycling team, I started making my own training food and sports drink from scratch for the cyclists I worked with because too many of the pre-packaged sports bars and drinks that were marketed or given to them were laden with artificial ingredients and literally making them sick to their stomach.

Instead of just accepting this as the norm, I decided to try a back to basics approach and began traveling around the world from hotel to hotel with a rice cooker and an electric frying pan so I could make the athletes I coached fresh food each morning at grueling events like the Tour de France.

I also started diluting their sports drinks to lower the sugar concentration while adding back extra salt and electrolytes to replace what was actually being lost in their sweat. Eventually, I started making a “secret drink mix” in my kitchen using a recipe with less sugar, more sodium, and no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, with a simple and clean taste created by using real fruit.

Instead of making an “orange” drink, I made a drink with real oranges. Instead of making sweet syrupy bars, I made savory cakes with sushi rice. And it worked. The athletes stopped complaining about feeling sick, bloated, and nasty from the synthetic gut rot that normally plagued them. Most importantly, with better hydration and better fuel they started feeling and performing better. Read more by clicking here.

THE SCIENCE- There is a lot to learn behind the Science of Skratch Labs. Click HERE to get the full rundown on the "why" of our hydration and food.

It's easy to talk about the importance of eating "real food" for anyone leading an active lifestyle, but it's another thing to actually do it. And when you spend a lot of time on the road, it's even harder. Here are a few tips about how to make real food right in your own hotel room.